


This Is How You Fall In Love

by Blackbeak99



Category: Bridgerton (TV), Bridgerton Series - Julia Quinn
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bridgertons Being Bridgertons, Canon Rewrite, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, I just want these two to have a relationship based on communicating with each other!, Idiots in Love, Love, Romance, Smut, based on the show
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-18 09:29:11
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28990008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blackbeak99/pseuds/Blackbeak99
Summary: Just a little rewrite of season one that features ~healthier~ communication between Simon and Daphne. Will ultimately feature chapters about their life together as a married couple as the rest of the Bridgerton's go through their own stories.
Relationships: Anthony Bridgerton/Kate Sheffield, Daphne Bridgerton/Simon Basset, Simon Basset & Daphne Bridgerton
Comments: 43
Kudos: 197





	1. Half a Man

"I was wrong to say I loved her

I was wrong to think I'm right

When I told her it was over

Well my darling, I had lied

I've been running from my demons

Afraid to look behind

I've been running from myself

Afraid of what I'd find

But how am I supposed to love you

When I don't love who I am?

And how can I give you all of me

When I'm only half a man?

'Cause I'm a sinking ship that's burning

So let go of my hand

Oh, how can I give you all of me 

When I'm only half a man?"

-Half a Man by Dean Lewis

**Simon**

He had thought that ending his ruse with Daphne had been the hardest thing he had ever done, but that was quickly trumped by the sight of her on the Prince’s arm at Will’s boxing match. He had felt sick as he watched her laugh at the man’s side. It was the afternoon and he was back at his place in London to tell his servants to pack up his things with haste as he needed to leave this city as soon as possible. He thought he was doing the right thing by following Lady Danbury’s advice in letting Daphne go, then why did he feel this horrible over it? He was brought out of his thoughts by the sting of a hand smacking the back of his head. He whirled around to face his attacker and found none other than Lady Danbury herself standing in front of him. He must have been quite entranced in his own mind if he hadn’t heard her approach.

“What on earth is wrong with you my boy, how could you let that girl slip through your fingers like this?”

“You told me if I didn’t plan on marrying her than I should let her go, so I did,”

She stamps her cane at this, “I thought you would grow up and ask for her hand!”

“Lady Danbury, I have told you, I can not marry Daphne. I can not marry anyone,” he tells her, anger straining his voice. She stares at him, assessing him, trying to understand him, before she sighs.

“I heard you make that vow to your father on his deathbed,” she finally says.

“You did?” her head nods before she continues, “Simon, I thought I raised you better than to sacrifice your own happiness in order to spite that awful man. You think a dead man cares about if you marry or have children? His wishes do not matter anymore, what do _you_ wish for?”

He thinks on this for a moment. Could he really be worthy of love, of someone like Daphne? He had no clue how to be even half the man she deserves, but he did know he loved her. He loved her in an all-consuming kind of way, there was not a moment where she did not occupy his thoughts. He didn’t even know if she cared for him the same way. How could she after the way he had treated her the previous morning?

“She does not feel the same way, besides even if I did marry her, she wants a life with children and I do not know how to be a father,”

His Godmother reaches out and takes one of his hands in hers, like she did when he was just a boy who stuttered his way through speaking, “She may have been dancing with the Prince last night, but her eyes were on you the entire time. I believe she would give up everything to be by your side. And my boy, no one knows how to be a parent, but the fact that you are worried about that fact means that you will do just fine,”

He smiles softly at her, at her kind words, “then how do I fix this before it is too late?” he asks. She leads him into the duchess’s room and reaches into one of the dresser drawers where she pulls out a jewelry box and hands it to him. Upon opening it he sees a beautiful diamond necklace.

“It used to be your mother’s, I believe she would be honored for it to be used as your engagement gift,”

He nods his head in agreement, “Lady Danbury, I need you to do a favor for me. Please go into town and buy out every florist there is and send them to the Bridgerton’s. I must go speak to Anthony first, but I will meet you there,” he asks and she smiles at him, “go step into the light my boy,” she says to him. He is out the door and mounting his horse in a flash. He rides hard to the club that the eldest Bridgerton was so often found at and walked in with purpose. He sees his old friend sitting alone at a table and he goes to join him.

“My lord, may I have a word with you?”

“Hastings!! What happened, why so formal?”

Simon takes a deep breath to steady himself, “you are my oldest and best friend that I have, so I beg of you to please hear me out before you come for my life,” Anthony lets out a curt nod to signal that he would and he continues, “Daphne and I have been fooling everyone in Mayfair for quite some time. We fooled everyone, including you, into thinking we are courting when really, we simply enjoyed each other’s company so much we could not stay away from one another. You know me, I have never been a man that much enjoyed flirting, or chatting, or, indeed, talking at all. But with Daphne, conversation has always been easy. Her laughter brings me joy. To meet a beautiful woman is one thing, but to meet your best friend in the most beautiful of women is something entirely apart. And my dear friend, I sincerely apologize for the fact that it took seeing her with the Prince for me to know that I did not want her to only be my friend, I want her to be my wife. So, I’m asking you for your permission to propose because I can not live the rest of my life simply imagining her in it,” he finishes. The passion in his voice had caused some of the other men at the club to turn and listen in. As much as they say they didn’t care for gossip, they clearly did.

A myriad of emotions crosses the Viscount’s face before he sighs, “I know better than to answer for my sister, but knowing that you came to me first, hearing the words you just said; I know your intentions are pure. I will not stop you,” he says and reaches his hand across the table, extending it to Simon. He gladly shakes it and stands to leave.

“For what it’s worth Hastings, it will be nice to have you be apart of our family,” he adds with a soft smile. Simon returns the smile and is on his way to the Bridgerton residence at once. Chaos is occurring at the grand home as all of the florist arrive with their flowers at the same time he does. The Viscountess seems greatly confused as to what was happened and he hears her yell, asking who on earth sent Daphne this many flowers. He clears his throat at the door to make his presences known and the Bridgerton matriarch quickly makes her way to him.

“Your Grace, to what do we owe the pleasure?”

“Lady Bridgerton, I wish to speak to Daphne please, can you fetch her?”

“It is getting quite late your grace; she is getting ready for the ball! She is in her room; you may speak to her there. Pardon me for asking, but I do not understand why you are here, Daphne told me it wasn’t true,”

“I did a foolish thing in telling her that I never cared for her; when in fact that is the farthest thing from the truth. Early on, she told me that if I was truly courting her, I would buy out every florist in town, so…” he says, gesturing around the parlor that was now overflowing with floral arrangements. The Viscountess beams at him and leads him up the stairs to Daphne’s room. Usually, it would be considered quite the scandal that he would be speaking to her in her room, unchaperoned, but they never had been a conventional match. He gently knocks on the door.

“Come in mama!” he hears her call. He walks through the door and leaves it open, but is astonished when Daphne’s own mother pulls it shut once he is inside. The jewelry box with the necklace feels heavy in his hand as he takes in the sight of her, stunning as always.

“Daphne,” he calls to her. She lets out a small yelp of surprise at hearing his voice “your grace what are you doing here?! How did you even get in my room?”

“Your mother let me in,”

“that still doesn’t answer why you are here. You made it perfectly clear yesterday morning that you wanted nothing to do with me, that we were not even friends so what could you possibly want?” she says with an exasperated laugh. Her eyes were slightly red, like she had been crying early. God did he cause that by his harsh words yesterday? He loathed himself even more for ever causing her pain.

“I—I, I w—ant,” he starts but pauses when his childhood stutter overcomes him. His emotions were high, which would usually cause it to stumble out, he takes a breath, “I want you, Lady Bridgerton. I can not stop thinking of you. From the mornings you ease, to the evenings you quiet, to the _dreams_ you inhabit. My thoughts of you never end. I am yours Daphne, I have always been yours,” he says to her, trying to convey how he felt before he asks her that all important question.

“Simon, I do not understand,” she whispers

“I do not know how to be any clearer!” he yells at her. Communication had always been a struggle for him but he thought he had done a fair enough job here, he didn’t mean to yell at her but god, he wanted her so badly it was tough to control himself.

“Do not get angry!”

“I am not angry,”

“Well, you look angry, you’re downright flushed, and… bothered,”

“That is what happens,”

“when one is angry?”

“When one _BURNS_ for another who does not feel the same,” he says moving in dangerously close to her.

“you… burn for me?”

He simple nods at her as she finally seems to understand, “if you had even bothered to look at me yesterday when you ended our ruse, you would know that I am just as much yours. That I burn for you, Simon. So why, why did you put me through this?” she asks him, tears filling her eyes. He can’t help but to reach his hand out, running his thumb gently along her cheek to catch them. She gasps lightly as she feels his touch so directly for the first time.

“My father was a cruel man who demanded perfection and accepted nothing less. He only cared about the continuation of the Hasting’s line. He once called me his greatest failure. On his deathbed I made a vow that I would never marry or sire an heir. I thought that by pushing you away, you would be able to have the life you always wanted, the life you deserve. Lady Danbury talked some sense into me, and I realized that I love you. So, Miss Bridgerton, will you marry me?” he asks her, opening the box to the necklace, offering it to her. Daphne’s eyes widen and the most breath-taking smile crosses her face.

“I love you too, Simon. No one can be perfect, I myself am far from it. We can figure out this life, together. To answer your question, yes, yes, I will marry you,” she says and allows him to place the necklace around her neck, allowing his fingers to graze along the length of it. He bends his head down and places a soft, open mouthed kiss on her pulse point and her breath catches in her throat.

“I told you that if I was really courting you, all I would need is five minutes alone in a room with you,” he whispers into her ear. She turns around to face him and her hands are grasping at the sides of his overcoat as she pulls him to her and crushes her lips against his. Any shred of self-control he had left went right out the window and he is kissing her back with fervor. He moves down to kiss at her neck, to the top of her breasts which were spilling out of her dress. A breathy moan escapes her lips and he decides that is his new favorite sound, and he desperately wants to know what else he can coax out of her. Hands roam all over her body, gripping at her butt then back up to knead one breast in his hand as his lips return to hers. His tongue presses into her mouth and she moans in surprise. Their tongues swirl around each other and he is drunk on her kisses. Kissing her was unlike anything he had ever experienced. He felt as if his soul was opening up. The softness, the sweetness of her warmed his entire being. It was like nothing in the world existed but him and her. He barely registers the sound of a knock on the door.

One second Daphne is finally in his arms, moaning into his mouth as he let his rakish ways overtake him, the next she is nearly on the other side of the room as the Viscountess makes her presence known in the now open door, Lady Danbury standing beside her. His godmother raises an eyebrow at him in amused disapproval. It was clear what had just been happening, from Daphne’s deep red blush and heaving chest, to Simon’s crumpled shirt, neckerchief pulled apart, hanging open around his neck. He moves his hands to redo the cravat as discreetly as possible and gives the Viscountess his most charming smile.

“So, do you two have anything to tell us?” the woman asks them, her hands clasped in front of her in excitement.

“My dear, do you wish to share?” he asks, looking over at his intended. He notes the blush still present on her cheeks, how effected by him she still was. Oh, he couldn’t wait until their wedding night to see just how responsive to him she will be. How on earth would he be able to wait the standard three weeks before they would be married? Perhaps a special license could be obtained?

“Mama, Lady Danbury, the Duke and I are engaged!” Daphne finally manages to say. Mrs. Bridgerton beams at the couple and congratulates them, walking toward her daughter and enveloping her in a large hug. Soon the gaggle of Bridgerton siblings came streaming into the room wanting to know what was going on and upon hearing the happy news were unable to contain their joy. The two youngest immediately ran up to Simon and began to question him about when they could visit Clyvedon and he of course told them whenever they wanted. Satisfied with the answer, they went to join their other siblings by their eldest sister to pester her as well. Watching the Bridgerton brood made his heart swell with emotion. He had never seen a family quite as close as they were and it caused his worries about his ability as a father to swirl all over again.

“Your Grace, come over here, you are to be apart of this family as well!” Daphne’s mother proclaims to him. He nods, sheepishly joining them. Tears threatened to fall from his eyes, how could they be so willing to include them in their family already? How did they already care for him, dare he say, love him, as much as they seemed to? He did not know the answer to this, but he secretly made a new vow. A vow to his future family; that he would spend the rest of his life doing right by them and making Daphne as happy as he possibly could. This could not be undone.


	2. Lets Fall In Love For The Night

**Daphne**

Daphne could hardly believe what had occurred over the past hour. She had been crying to her Mama in her room, forlorn about her impending engagement to the Prince because no matter how lovely he was, he paled in comparison to the Duke. Now she found herself engaged to the very same man she had been in tears over. Simon was to be her husband. Oh, how wonderful it felt for that to be true. He made her feel things that she never could have imagined before, that she didn’t even know existed. As Rose did her hair for tonight’s ball, and her Mama whirled around speaking out-loud to neither of them in particular about how much work was to be done, Daphne found herself thinking back to kissing the Duke. She had been unable to hold herself back and had entangled their lips together. The ferocity with which he kissed her lips, her neck, her collarbone, the tops of her breasts was intoxicating. His hands had roamed all over her body and she had felt heat deep in her core, similar to the feeling of when she had touched herself on his instruction the previous night, but oh so magnified. The sounds that had escaped her had been far from ladylike, but they had only seemed to spur him on. She would have let him do whatever he wanted with her in that moment, would have begged him to show her, teach her what would occur between them once they were man and wife, but her family had interrupted that train of thought. This was probably for the better, she did not need _another_ scandalize topic for Lady Whistledown to write about.

“Daphne, have you heard a single thing I have said to you?” her mother asks her

“Hm? Apologies Mama, I was just thinking about how the Duke is to be my husband soon,” she says, not a complete lie, but not the truth.

Her mother smiles at her, “I knew there was something between the two of you, ruse or no ruse. A mother always knows! As I was saying, you must break the news to the Prince tonight. Simon says that he will speak to the Queen, hopefully she will not be too offended by your choice,”

“Why is Simon speaking to the Queen about our engagement?”

“Apparently he wishes to request a special license! I pray she grants it, I do not I would be able to keep you two from causing a scandal if you were to wait the standard month,”

Daphne can not control the blush that rushes to her cheeks, “I do not know what you mean by that Mama!”

“My dear, I know all to well what one looks like after they have been thoroughly kissed by a man, you did not fool anyone,”

“MAMA!” She gasps, her cheeks turning redder than they had been previously and her mother and Rose burst out into laughter.

“Do not be embarrassed Daphne, it is perfectly natural! Even your father and I snuck off a few times during our engagement, I would be troubled if you did not wish to do so with the Duke,” her mother pauses for a moment, “What are you not saying?” she asks her mother even though she is not sure she wants the answer. “I will hold off the rest of this conversation for your wedding day, I need a few days to prepare to tell you, to make sure I inform you properly. Young ladies often go into their marriage naively unaware of what occurs between husband and wife, I do not plan on doing this to you,” she adds. All Daphne manages to utter is an, oh, in response. The idea of her mother sharing what would occur between her and Simon made her a bit uncomfortable, but she supposes it would be better than Simon himself having to tell her on their wedding night. The conversation easily drifts back into wedding plans and it isn’t long before she is ready for the ball.

Anthony leads her into the grand ballroom on his arm. Once in the room she finds herself looking for Simon right away, a smile growing on her face when she catches him standing off to the side engrossed in conversation with one of the other lords. He glances her way, their eyes meeting and he winks at her; her breath catches in her throat and she wishes she were by his side right now. She had a more important matter to attend to though. The Prince intercepts her before she can even make it ten paces into the room.

“Miss Bridgerton, you are look exquisite as always,”

She curtseys to him, “thank you your highness. Would you mind if we can speak privately?” she asks.

“Of course, my lady, will the terrace suffice?”

“Yes, that will do, thank you” she politely responds and allows Friedrich to lead her outside the noise of the ball to the terrace. Anthony stands a short distance away as their chaperone, but allows them privacy so she may tell him what she must.

“Prince Friedrich, I must apologize to tell you that I am engaged to the Duke of Hastings so the courtship between you and I must end,”

A slightly shocked expression crosses the man’s face mixed with disappointment, “I am a bit surprised to hear this as I believed you and I to be on the same page in regards to the future, but there were never any promises between us. I myself apologize, for mistaking your polite kindness for affection,”

She shakes her head, “You were not mistaken, but what I feel for the Duke could not be swayed. Even by a good and kind man such as yourself,” she says, offering him a slight smile. She meant it; he really was a good man. Maybe he was even the _better_ man, but she did not burn for him. Not as she did for Simon.

“I appreciate your candor Miss Bridgerton, and I wish you a lifetime of happiness with your future husband,” he replies, lifting her hand to his lips and placing a gentle kiss to it. He gives her one last smile before he turns and walks back to rejoin the rest of the Ton in the festivities of the ball. She stands on the edge of the terrace and lets out a sigh; she looks over her shoulder to see that her brother has disappeared. One can only wonder what he was up to now. She looks out over the gardens, enjoying the cool night air on her skin, her hand drifting to her neck to run along the gift that Simon had given her when she feels a presence behind her.

“Do you like it?” he asks her, his breath hitting the back of her exposed neck as he moves in closer to her.

“It is absolutely beautiful, I love it,” she responds, her voice wavering a bit as he places a soft kiss on her neck.

“Your grace, someone could see us!” she says, spinning around to face him.

“Then let us find a spot away from prying eyes,” he counters, grabbing her hand in his and leading her into the many twist and turns of the garden maze. Upon reaching the center, Daphne couldn’t help but marvel at the wonderful tree with light pink flowers that grew proudly from the ground. She faces Simon and notices a hungry look in his eyes; taking a few paces towards her and pressing his lips against hers in a searing kiss. He walks them backwards until she feels the prickle of tree bark against her back and she gasps a bit at the sensation. He takes advantage of the moment and presses his tongue into her mouth, deepening their kiss. One arm is around her, keeping her flush against his strong body and the other is palming at her breast through her dress. A breathy moan escapes her lips and Simon pulls his face away from hers. She instantly misses the feel of his lips.

“Daphne, I want to show you more,” he tells her, voice husky with want

“More?”

“I wish to kiss you,”

“Is that not what we were just doing?”

He laughs lightly, “I wish to kiss you elsewhere, between your legs, if you would allow me to,” he replies. Her eyes widen in shock at his bold statement. How could he want to kiss her down, she did not think that a man would desire to do such an intimate thing.

“What if someone sees?”

“All I need is five minutes, I don’t think a search party will start so soon. If you are not comfortable, we can wait. Do you want me to stop?” he asks and she finds herself shaking her head. She did not want him to stop, not if it meant feeling something similar to what she had felt the other night. His lips return to hers with renewed vigor and he kisses his way to her neck, lightly sucking on her pulse point before kissing her breasts then suddenly he drops to his knees in front of her. Her breath is running ragged now, and she is fairly certain he left a love bite on her neck but she is too absorbed in his actions to care. He smirks up at her before he disappears under her gown, fingers hooking into each side of her undergarments before sliding them down her legs to rest at her ankles. She feels his hands run along the inside of her thighs before he lifts each leg up to rest on his shoulders to support her. He kisses from one side of her thigh to the other and she can feel the wetness gathered between her legs.

“God, Daphne, you are _soaked_ ,” he mutters. Before she can blush from embarrassment or think of some response, he licks up her folds and she gasps out his name. He sucks the nub at the apex of her folds into his mouth and begins to circle his tongue over and around it. The feeling was so intense she nearly pushed him away out of surprise but finds her hand grasping at his head, holding him in place. His tongue moves lower, to the opening she had explored for the first time in this way just last night and he dips his tongue inside of her, humming in approval at the moans leave her. He laps at her this way for a few moments, taking in the gasps and moans she makes, learning which spots bring her the most pleasure. She gently guides his head back up to the nub he was at before, that spot had felt the best. He seems to get the gesture and his lips are sucking at it again. She can feel a tightness building in her lower belly as she bucks her hips against his face.

“Simon, please!” she begs, even though she isn’t entirely sure what she was begging for.

“Please what, my dear?” he asks her as he starts to run a finger along her slit. She whimpers in desire, not knowing what to ask him for, but he steps in for her, “do you wish to peak from just my tongue or my fingers?”

“Both,” she manages to huff out before he begins his torturous circles with his tongue on her nub again, gently sliding one of his fingers inside of her. She lets out a loud gasp at this, oh his fingers felt so much better than her own had. Soon a second one joins the first and he pumps them in and out of her a few times before he starts to curl them in her. The pressure in her was building fast and she felt herself barreling towards her release. A few more strokes of his fingers and laps with his tongue and she screams out loudly as she feels her inner walls clench around the two fingers inside her. He laps at her slit a few times while she gasps through her peak and he reappears from under her gown with a pleased look on his face. He makes sure her legs can support herself, which they barely can; before he stands up and leans in to kiss her. He seems to hesitate as if he expected her to pull away but she closes the space between them and kisses him with all she has. She can taste herself on his lips and that sends a whole new wave of desire coursing through her.

Before she can offer to return the favor the telltale sound of footsteps sound from way they had came and Simon reluctantly pulls away from her. Moments later her brother appears and he huffs at them.

“Hastings. Sister, there you two are. The Queen is looking to speak to the Duke per his request, best not to keep her waiting!” he says. He pauses for a moment to assess the two of them and anger simmers over his face when he spots how Simon was holding his hands clasped in front of him in an obvious effort to hide his arousal from their… activities. Anthony strides towards Simon and goes to grasp him by the sides of his overcoat before he stops himself, realizing that would only bring himself closer to the problem. Instead, he settles on pointing his finger at her fiancée in a menacing manner

“You are not yet married to her! Just because you are my friend does not mean I am comfortable with stumbling upon whatever just happened here. Pull yourself together your grace, one could go camping under the tent you’re pitching. Let us not give the Queen further reason to deny your special license other than making her wait,” he states with an eye roll before gently grabbing Daphne by the arm and walking her out of the maze. She notices Simon adjust his trousers before following a few paces behind them. The ball is still in full swing when they rejoin and Daphne notices Cressida Cowper glaring at her, whether it be from anger or jealous she could not tell. She did not dwell on this as she found herself standing alongside her mother and other brothers while Simon went off to talk to the Queen. She did not envy facing the power monarch for a request in the least bit. She prayed Simon would sway her in their favor as she watches him walk into the room. May god save his soul for what he was about to face!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoy this second chapter which is much more smutty than it is plot based. Whoops! The chapter count is subject to change but I like trying to set a rough goal for myself moving forward, and please excuse any spelling or grammatical errors, I have no Betta and wanted to post as soon as I could! If there is anything in particular you would like me to write about please drop a suggestion for me and I will happily try to fit it into the story!!


	3. Ocean

"I'm scared of

The way that I feel when you say love

My heart starts to fly but my head knows

How far I'll far if you let go

Don't let go

Shadows, block out the light from your halo

I let you in, but I'm scared to

What if you hate what I showed you, what would I do?

I'm hoping

that maybe tonight I'll stay open

To letting you see what feels broken

I'll let down my guard for a moment

A moment

In an ocean

I can't find my way to the surface

I grab your hand but I'm nervous

That you'll see my love as a burden"

-Ocean by Matt Haughey

* * *

Walking in to face the Queen was one of the most intimidating moments he had ever willing put himself into. She stood there looking as regal and powerful as she always did and he bows to her in respect.

“Your Grace, I have to ask; do you consider yourself better than a Prince?” she asks him. Oh boy this was already going poorly.

“Of course not, I would never presume to think so. I wished to speak to you because I request a special license in my marriage to Miss Bridgerton,”

“Now why would I do that when you have somehow stolen the girl right out of my nephew’s hands? I presumed you weren’t the marrying type,”

“If you had asked me that merely a few weeks ago I would have told you that you were right, that I had never wished to marry anyone. Miss Bridgerton and I have been fooling all of Mayfair this entire season. It was a ruse to benefit the both of us. Of course, there was always attraction but there was the fact that she was the sister of my best friend, and so romance was entirely out of the question for both of us. But in so removing it, we found something far greater. We found friendship. Daphne… Miss Bridgerton is my best friend and I no longer wish for her to only be as such. I want her to be my wife. Your majesty, I plead with you… not to make us wait,” he confesses, the words pouring out of him so easily it shocked himself. He had always struggle so hard with speech and the right things to say, but when it came to Daphne it was as easy as breathing.

“You are wise, or perhaps unusually lucky to understand friendship to be the best possible foundation a marriage can have. I too consider my George to be my closest of friends, so it would be wrong of me to force you two to wait out of my own selfish desires. May I offer you some advice?” Simon nods to signal that of course she may, that it he was honored that she was even offering, “Never lose sight of the fact that she is your best friend first, because when loving her gets hard, and trust me it will at times; you will always remember the ease of which your relationship was built and that in choosing to love your friend you are choosing to love her, even when you hate her,”

“That is wonderful advice your majesty, I thank you greatly for sharing it with me. I hope to see you at the wedding reception in three days’ time,” he says and bows again before exiting the room. He rejoins the Bridgerton’s and is beyond amused when he sees that Violet Bridgerton was well and truly drunk. At the current moment she seemed to be whispering what he can only assume was a _scandalous_ story into his soon to be wife’s ear due to the utterly mortified expression on Daphne’s face. He swoops in to save her from further embarrassment like the gentleman he is by whisking the young lady out onto the dance floor. He held her closer to him than their usual dances, wishing to be as close as society would allow. He lets his hand drift higher to the exposed skin of her back, gently running his fingers over the smoothness there causing her to gasp. The crowd on the outskirts of the dance floor was buzzing with whispers about the two of them since unbeknownst to them they were a betrothed couple. That meant that while a tad improper, it was not image ruining for him to be taking a bit more liberty with Daphne at the moment. Besides he was too busy staring back into her pale blue eyes with the same devotion with which she looked at him. They danced for so long that by the end of the night they were the only couple left on the dancefloor and they were utterly exhausted by the time they left.

Wishing her goodnight at the Bridgerton family home was by far one of the most excruciating things he had ever done. He couldn’t even sneak a kiss, what with Anthony practically burning a hole through Simon with the way he glared at him. His friend may not have barred him from proposing to his sister, but he obviously was still uncomfortable with the fact that he would be doing very rakish things to the mans very innocent sister. He brought Daphne’s gloved hand up to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss to her knuckles, staring into her eyes all the while; smirking when he lips slightly parted and desire filled her eyes. Simon got back into his carriage and rode back to his home. It would only be three days until he would be wed to the diamond of the season; of course, he didn’t care about her being the most desirable in all the Ton, he just cared about her and making her as happy as he possibly could.

Though she had expected it to feel like a lifetime, the next three days went by in a whirl. The first day was spent with the chef’s in their home, planning the menu and making sure the cake was perfect. The second was spent at the Modiste getting her fitted for her dress and more… intimate items for the Duke as her mother had stated. The thought that just the following night she would be Simon’s _wife_ sent butterflies through her whole body, the word wife itself sounded wonderful and she couldn’t wait to hear the word fall from her husband’s lips. The morning of her wedding day she was up right with the sun, she hadn’t even gone down to break her fast before her mother gently knocked at the door and came to sit at the edge of Daphne’s bed next to her.

“I suppose I have put this conversation off for too long, and if I wait until later today, I will not be able to get through what is necessary before you have to leave,” her mom states and suddenly Daphne feels worried, what could warrant such a serious conversation from her usually lighthearted mama?

“So tonight, you will be married and that means that there are certain acts that you and the Duke may perform… together. The marital act is… well it is…”

“If it is this difficult to explain, how difficult is it to perform?” she asks, her eyes wide but her mother reaches out to grasp her hands.

“No, my dear, it is most natural. You see this act is the only way one can produce children, but it can also be performed for pleasure. Most women are not as lucky as you and I to find a love match so they may not enjoy the act with their husbands as much. Given Anthony’s mood after he found you in the garden last night, I assume you know _some_ of what I am talking about; your Duke is a rake after all,” she says and pauses to laugh while Daphne turns beat red,

“anyway, the act itself is what I must discuss. A man’s anatomy is quite different from ours between their legs, they have an organ that resembles a rod and when they desire a woman it becomes hard. For the marital act a man will insert that part of himself inside of a woman between her legs and the first time it may be painful no matter how well your husband prepares you; it varies from woman to woman. The man will then move in and out of his wife until he peaks and releases his seed. This part is what creates children, but he must release inside you for this to occur, he may withdraw if you do not wish to have children just yet but even that is not always effective. It is obviously something you two will discuss beforehand. You need not be nervous though my dear, the Duke loves you and I am certain he will guide you through it and take care of you, do you have any questions love?”

Daphne takes a moment to process the information before shaking her head. She understands the basics now and knows that the real questions she has can be answered by Simon at a later date. While the conversation was somewhat mortifying to hear coming from her mama, she knows that it is important for her to have some kind of knowledge of what was to happen between a husband and wife rather than Simon just lead her blindly through all the steps. She thanks her mother for telling her even though it had clearly been difficult for her.

Her mama reminds her that it is time for her to head over to Simon’s home for tea with him and Lady Danbury before she was to return to get ready for the ceremony. Once her and her mother reached Hasting’s House, they were greeted by Simon who politely led them inside to sit in the drawing room with his godmother. Conveniently, Lady Danbury wished to give a tour _just_ to her mama and left her sitting alone with her future Husband. He sits down next to her on the settee and she can’t help but notice his sullen mood. Was he already having regrets about marrying her? Had he just been caught up in his desire for her that he confused his feelings? Was she trapping him in a marriage he did not want? Instead of keeping these questions to herself she decides to speak up.

“Simon, I may not know you well yet, but I know you well enough to understand when something is bothering you. Please just let me in, let me love you,” she begs him.

Simon remains silent for a moment; he needs to gather his thoughts together before he speaks them to prevent the stammer from taking over. He looks at her and the desperation with which she was looking at him, begging him to open up to her was the last push against whatever walls he had left up. He tells her everything in detail about his father, not just the abridged version he had told her when he proposed. She listened attentively through it all, even taking one of his hands into hers when he got particularly emotional at one point.

When he finishes speaking, she waits a minute to make sure he had nothing else to add, “Simon, do you not wish to be married so soon? We can wait the standard month if you need more time,”

He shakes his head immediately, “I do not wish to be alone; I know that now. I had condemned myself to a lifetime of loneliness, a life I had always been content with; that is, until I ran into a garden to try and save a certain damsel in distress who turns out, did not need my assistance at all with her mean right hook. From that very first night I was yours Daphne, I will forever be yours, I am just worried. Worried that I do not know how to be the man you need me to be; the man that you deserve, I do not know how to do this,”

She reaches out and places her hand on his cheek and he finds himself leaning into her gentle touch, “Yes you do, Simon, and we will learn all of this together,” she reassures him and a soft smile grows on his face.

“You desperately want children. I now want them too, but I do not know if I am ready for the possibility of them so soon,” his confession escapes his lips before his mind can stop it. He expects her to be disappointed or angry that he needs more time, but instead she hums in agreement, “well Your Grace, we can try to hold off on children for a bit, there is a way to do so I believe. I should like to be your wife for a while before becoming a mother, to enjoy my time with you before a child snatches all our time away,” she says with a small laugh at the end. Why had he been so scared to tell her this, had he really feared that she would reject him? Turn him away when she saw the imperfections he had, the doubts that often clouded his mind? Clearly, he had let his own thoughts muddle his judgement of her; honestly how had he gotten so lucky. He must have asked himself that question about a million times over the past couple days.

He did not know how to express his gratitude through words so he closed the small amount of space between them and pressed his lips to hers. It wasn’t a kiss like the previous ones they had shared. Those all had the pull, the promise of leading to more. This one was just as passionate, but showed just how much he appreciated her. She happily kissed him back and he allowed his lips to linger a moment longer before pulling away to smile at her.

“I love you Daph, more than I will ever be able to tell you,”

“And I love you” she replies in earnest. The two older women returned to the room and the four of them enjoyed tea together while Lady Danbury and Violet Bridgerton shared embarrassing stories about when the couple had been young children. When it came time for his future family to leave to get ready, he felt his heart aching the moment Daphne was out the door. He wondered if it would ever get easier to be apart from her, or would he just have to bring her along to every meeting in other towns he would ever have? Lady Danbury pulls him away from his spot fixated on the door to force him to get ready. Will and Anna would be here soon to go to the church with him. In just a few hours he would be breaking the vow he had made to his father, but he would be making a far more important one. One he would keep for the rest of his life. One for love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please bear with me as I tried a new way to change POV in this chapter. Let me know if it flows well or not, if it isn't great I will go back to the format I previously used, but if you enjoy this way better tell me!:) Next chapter will be the wedding and wedding night ;) Also the song I quoted at the beginning just seems to fit show Simon's emotions so well that I was listening to it the entire time I wrote the end of this chapter, here is the link to anyone interested https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwlJGxEM3pE


	4. Fade Into You

The next few hours went by in a blur, Rose helping her get into her new dress and doing her makeup just the way Daphne loved it done; her Mama crying tears of joy seeing her come down the stairs. Her family piled into many carriages to travel to the church for the wedding. Once there, all her siblings and her mother went inside, leaving just her and Anthony at the doors.

Her eldest brother holds his arm out for her and smiles at her, “you ready Daph?” he asks her. She takes a deep breath to steady herself before nodding and returning his smile. She loops her arm through his and lets him walk her through the doors and they begin the slow walk down the aisle. When she sees Simon turn around at the end of the long aisle she wishes she could sprint down it to stand by his side. He is beaming at her and she notices tears fill his eyes as he takes her in, emotion seeming to overwhelm him in the moment. It feels like an eternity by the time Anthony finally places her hand into Simon’s and leaves to sit beside her mother in one of the pews. She looks up at him and returns his smile, unable to believe that this perfect man was to soon be hers.

The archbishop begins the standard ceremony, but right when he gets to the vows Simon puts his hand up to pause him.

“If it’s alright, I would like to say my own vows,” he says. Daphne’s eyes go wide at his unusual request but the bishop grants his request with a small nod.

“Daphne, today is the day our life begins. All my life it’s just been me, but today is the day I become a husband. Today I become accountable to you and to whatever the future holds for us. When we first met I thought I would only need five minutes with you, but after knowing you for that amount of time I realized that not even five decades would be enough with you, I craved a lifetime. I for one, cannot wait to spend every day of the rest of my life with you. I love you,” he says and the tears are flowing down her face before she can try to fight them. Now she would have to think on her feet to say something to him.

“Simon, just because something is not perfect… does not make it any less worthy of love. I love all of you. Even that parts that you believe are too dark and too shameful. Every scar, every flaw, every imperfection; I love. All my life I dreamed of finding a love match, and I couldn’t be luckier than to find it in the man I consider my best friend. The road ahead of us may not always be as easy as it is now, but I know that every single day I will choose to love you. I choose you, for now, and forever,” she manages to say between tears and sniffs. She had never imagined this moment would be so emotional for her, but then again she had never thought she would be truly able to marry for love. So many do not have the luxury to do so.

Simon slides the glove gently off her left hand and slips her wedding ring onto her ring finger, and just like that they are pronounced as husband and wife. He bends down to place a chaste kiss against her lips and she can’t help but crave more when he pulls away.

They walk hand in hand to their carriage waiting outside to take them back to Daphne’s home for their wedding reception. Nearly everyone in the Ton would be waiting there for them, the excitement that surrounded the first wedding of the season was palpable. Simon’s hand remains intertwined with hers for the entirety of the short ride, unable to keep a smile off his face. They sat in comfortable silence, content in just the company of each other; for the silence wouldn’t last once they returned to her home.

The second they step out of the carriage they are swarmed by their guests and promptly separated from each other while they graciously accepted the many congratulations that were being uttered to them. Daphne finds it difficult to listen to the conversations she is engaged in as her eyes stay glued to Simon; it seems he is doing the same as his eyes seem to follow her just as intently. They were in the same room as each other, but she found herself missing him dearly. Would it ever stop feeling like this? Like they were magnets constantly drawn to each other. She certainly hoped that it wouldn’t.

It isn’t long before the Queen approaches her and she greets her properly before waiting to hear what she has to say.

“I hope you made the right decision Mrs. Bridgerton… well you will certainly enjoy your wedding night, that’s for sure,” she says making a snort at the end before promptly walking away, which was good for Daphne since she honestly had no clue how to respond to _that_ statement. Simon finds his way back to her side and looks at her questioningly.

“What was that about?”

“She hopes I made the right choice, but at least I will enjoy our wedding night,” she says, a blush creeping up her cheeks. Simon lets out a hearty laugh and takes her hand into his again.

“She is certainly right about that,”

“About which part?”

“Both, my dear,” he whispers with a smirk. A small smile grows on her face and she enjoys the remainder of the party by her husband's side. It isn’t much longer until it is time for them to leave for Clyvden. She hugs each of her family members goodbye before climbing into the carriage, sitting across from Simon.

“How long will the trip take?” she asks, a sense of nervousness fills her as she thinks about the night ahead. She had a better idea of what to expect, but she didn’t truly know what it would be like.

“We have to stop at an inn at about the halfway point, it is too dangerous to complete the trip in one go,” he replies

“So we are spending our wedding night at an inn?”

“I… I should have told you sooner,”

“No Simon, it’s alright, it sounds lovely,” she tells him, reaching out to touch his hand. It didn’t matter where they were staying as long as she had him. They talk about everything and nothing all at once and it feels like only a few minutes before they reach the inn and darkness surrounds them.

Daphne walks into the room that will be theirs for the night and Simon softly closes the door behind him.

“Do you wish to go eat dinner? I’m sure the food is as lovely as I remember it last,” he says as he starts to ramble on; it seems he was nearly as nervous as she was. She turns to face him and gently shakes her head.

“I don’t feel hungry, do you?” she asks, the question looming in the air.

“No, not for dinner at least,” he says. Before she can question him he strides over to her, takes her face in both his hands and captures her lips in a searing kiss. She eagerly kisses him back, his tongue runs along her lips and she parts them to allow it to slip inside her mouth. She moans softly and mimics his movements, slipping her own tongue into his mouth. His lips move to her neck then down to her collarbone, and finally to the swell of her breast before he pulls away to look at her.

“I want to show you more,”

“More?” she asks breathlessly. He simply nods in response before he asks, “do you want me to stop?” she shakes her head while clutching at his shirt, desperate for his lips to return to hers. He gets the message and his lips are back on her, more urgent than ever before. He uses his roaming hands to pull down the light dress she had worn to travel and when it pools at her feet he turns her around to start unlacing her corset. His fingers work deftly and he gently pushes the garment off her body, his hands reaching around to knead at her breasts and press an open-mouthed kiss where her neck met her shoulder. She sighs softly in content but his warm hands are gone all too soon as he crouches down to undo the small buttons of her underskirt. He leaves a quick kiss to her navel before he stands again and she finds herself completely bare in front of him. She should feel a slight sense of embarrassment finds herself lost in desire instead, only wishing to see him in the same state.

Her hands move to the buttons of his shirt, but her fingers are trembling and Simon takes over for her. Shedding the piece of clothing before pulling his cravat off as well, joining the pile on the floor. She stares at him in awe. His chest is perfectly sculpted, like some form of Roman or Greek statue and she can’t believe that he is hers. She reaches out a hand to rest on his chest, feeling the rapid beat of his heart beneath her touch. He pulls her flush against him then and resumes kissing her. She reveals in the feeling of his warm, strong chest pressed up to hers that she barely notices how he walks them over to the bed and gently lies her down, bringing himself on top of her.

“Did you touch yourself, like we talked about?” he asks, his voice laden with desire. She gives him a slight nod, unsure that she can find her voice right now. He smiles at this as if he is proud.

“Show me,” he whispers.

Her eyes widen in surprise, “I cannot!” she exclaims. He wordlessly reaches his hand up to grab hers before dragging it down her body until it rests between her legs. He guides her hand over the nub at the top of her folds and moves his hand over her fingers in a circular motion over it. She lets out a gasp at the pleasure she felt, it was much more heightened than when she had done this on her own but not quite as good as his mouth on her. After a few moments, he takes over with his hand, her own falling back to her side. He runs a finger up and down her folds, gathering the wetness that had formed there, and gently pushes into her with the digit. She lets out a breathy moan as he starts to pump the finger in and out of her before adding another. He changes up his movements, now curling the fingers inside her, hitting that spot that felt so incredible. Her moans are getting hard to contain and she bites her lip to keep from being too loud.

“Don’t, I want to hear every sound,” he tells her. She gasps out his name when his thumb starts to rub at the nub again and soon the pleasure inside her builds to a peak and she finds herself falling over the edge; his name falling from her lips like a pray over and over again.

“Simon, I need you closer,” she manages to tell him, wrapping an arm around his neck, pulling him down, and kissing him as her life depended on it. He kisses her back and she can feel his hard length straining from his trousers, pressing into her hip. All too soon he pulls his body away from hers and stands at the bed and slowly removes his trousers. She can’t help the nervous flutter she feels in her stomach as her eyes roam down his figure, settling on his long, hard cock standing proud between his legs. He strides back toward her and positions himself between her legs again. His eyes stare longingly into hers and she can see how much love he holds for her in them.

“This may hurt a bit,” he tells her, and she gives him a short nod, telling him that it was ok to continue. He lines himself up and carefully pushes himself inside her inch by wonderful inch. The pain he mentioned is certainly there and she feels tears form in her eyes and bites down on her lip to distract herself. Simon peppers kisses all along her face, lips, and breasts to try and help her adjust to the feeling of being stretched so much. He stays still within her, waiting for her to tell him she was ready. After a couple of minutes the pain subsides; replaced by a dull ache, and the feeling of fullness. She digs her fingers into his shoulders and he immediately understands, slowly starting to thrust in and out of her.

“God Daphne, you feel _so_ good,” he growls against her lips. She starts to feel the same pleasure as before but magnified. It isn’t long before she is begging him to move faster, moaning loudly into the empty room. Simon thrusts into her hard, at a quicker pace and she racks her nails down his back. He lets out a deep moan at this and kisses her, tongue sliding into her mouth. Daphne moves her legs to wrap around his waist, changing the angle as he penetrates her even deeper than before. This causes him to hit that spot deep inside her and she cries out in pleasure, her walls clenching around his cock. Simon groans and pulls himself out of her, spilling himself into the sheets beside them. He rolls back over to her and pulls her against his chest.

“How do you feel?”

“Wonderful… I feel absolutely wonderful,” she says breathlessly. She looks up at him to stare into his beautiful, deep brown eyes and they smile at each other in pure bliss.

“I love you Daph,” he says.

“Not as much as I love you, Simon,” she responds. Simon’s smile seems stuck on his face and she finds it is her new favorite look on him, he looked so astonishingly handsome when he smiled. There was an ease to him as well; like he was finally living for himself for the first time in his life. She lies down against his chest, his arms wrapping around her and she listens as his breathing becomes slow and steady as he drifts off to sleep. It isn’t long before she too falls asleep; happy in the arms of her Duke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the lengthy wait, I have been busy with classes and job interviews but I am back now! I hope you all enjoy this chapter :)


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